Jukebox Hero
by Era Dubois
Summary: Kyoko and Sho have had this conversation coming for a while.


_**I Don't Own Skip Beat or the Awesome Song I Got this Title and Inspiration From **_

**Jukebox Hero**

Kyoko rocked on her heels; up and down, up and down. She was not nervous, she wasn't even impatient to be done with what she came to say. No, she was holding back a surge of glee. She hadn't felt this good being anywhere near _him_ in a really long time. _Well, it has only been a few years since I swore my revenge. It hasn't _really _been _that _long. _The number three man in all of Japanese show business came around the corner and watched the applause fade from the wings. He rubbed a towel across his face and neck and then shook the glitter from his hair and began walking away. _Then _he saw the young woman in the back of the shadowy alcove behind the stage.

He looked into the shadows with a furrowed brow and craned neck, as though he would not step into the obscurity of shadows, "Kyoko?"

She stepped out, the inability to wipe the silly grin from her face making her look somewhat like an ooky harlequin. She took a breath, "Hi Sho."

Sho looked at her and began to think. _I was wondering when this would come to its conclusion. I never thought it would be this soon. _

"I heard something about you on the news…Shoko had it on in the background, I wasn't _trying_ to hear anything…I figured you would come around for your revenge." He looked around suspiciously as she began to advance toward him. _He's still so immature. Even if that's true, why would you need to clarify it?_

"Yeah." At that, Sho whipped his head in all directions. _She has plotted something, but, what?! I don't see any of her LME cronies? I don't see her Hus…_He stopped short at her laugh.

"Sho, I'm not going to hurt you. Calm down."

He looked at her with narrowed eyes. "They announced you as the number one actress in Japan, wasn't the goal to rise higher than me and make me grovel?"

She shrugged and said on a sigh, "Yeah."

"Then, you are going to do something!" Sho backed up, almost back on stage.

Kyoko smiled and retreated to the farthest corner of the back stage. _He always did like to corner me. Huh, am I _really _going to miss our game of cat and mouse?_

"Sho, I don't want it anymore."

He looked at her agog. "You don't want…what?"

"Revenge, Sho, I don't need it anymore."

His confusion turned to something akin to worry, "Is this because of _him_, has married life made you…docile?"

She laughed again. "No, Sho. I realized that, all of those years, worshipping the ground you walked on, I had hearts in my eyes. Back then, I _really_ wanted you to have them too. Now I see that could never have been."

"You're talking in riddles, Kyoko." Sho looked mildly infuriated.

Kyoko put up a hand. "I have a point." She sighs, "Let me get to it."

She takes a few breaths. "Sho, when I saw you with your manager and you told me I was plain, it made my blood boil. For years, the only man I saw was you. I wanted to become bigger than you in show biz, that way…the only woman _you _saw was me."

Sho thought about the posters, magazine covers, and billboards he had seen plastered everywhere. _Well, she succeeded in that, the woman's everywhere I look._

"Sho, I understand now. I couldn't compete with her," _What does she mean, with Shoko? _Kyoko saw his confusion, "your music. Ever since you went to that first concert, the one you told me had sold out. You said you stayed outside and listened to the sound of the guitar, while you stood in the pouring rain. When you bought your first guitar, I should have seen it. You would never have matching hearts in your eyes, because that guitar changed your life." She patted her oldest friend on the arm, "You had stars in your eyes."

"Listen, Sho, I forgive you. I hope you get to be number one someday."

He looked at her sideways, "You know that would mean beating out your husband."

She turned and started to walk away. "We're moving; we've achieved all we needed. You _just _might have a chance."

Sho turned half ogre. "HEY!"

He smiled as he heard her laugh fading as she exited the stadium.

_Guess I have some work to do. _He went to his dressing room and began writing. "I have to become a jukebox hero."


End file.
